-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` You 've got to save your best leadership for home . '' These are the words of retired U.S. Army Commander Lt. General Russel L. Honore at a recent speaking event on leadership in the 21st century .

Two nights ago , I found my two most active roles in life -- family man and journalist -- intersecting in a crisis . It was 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when my wife alerted me . I was enjoying my afternoon off , comfortable in the warmth of our home , watching the snow from a rare winter storm blanket our deck and backyard .

My wife , who is a fifth-grade school teacher in Fulton County , Georgia , received word that her school was shutting down because of the inclement weather . `` Honey I 've got the kids . I 'm on my way home , '' she said after school was dismissed early , and parents were rushing to get their children .

As a journalist , I recognized that a news story was breaking before me . My wife 's normal 20-minute daily commute was about to turn into an ordeal that would last nearly 24 hours . And I soon discovered that skills honed over years in the newsroom , were my best tools for assisting my wife and children .

More than three hours later , she still had n't moved very far .

We stayed in constant contact as she inched along the 6-mile stretch of state highway leading her home .

From the news , I soon realized this was no ordinary traffic jam . My family was stuck in gridlocked traffic caused by a one-two-punch of bad weather and poor government planning .

Midnight approached and my wife told me she had n't been able to move the car at all since 10 p.m. . The half-tank of gas she started with that afternoon had dwindled , and temperatures were well-below freezing . The kids had n't eaten . There was no restroom in sight .

I felt hopeless and helpless . I called Georgia State Patrol and explained to them that my wife and kids were stranded in a vehicle among hundreds of other vehicles . I wanted to know how my family was going to be helped . They told me , `` We do n't know sir . We 're trying , but we are out-manned now . ''

Filled with adrenalin , I just could n't sit idle with my family stranded . I called local authorities and was told the same thing . By this time , I was so angry , I could n't think straight . I texted a friend who suggested prayer and texted me a bible verse to read , Philippians 4:1 -14 .

I took to social media to help me cope with the situation and people reacted with posts of support . I stayed in touch with my wife a minimum of once per hour and at times twice per hour .

On Facebook , I posted : `` More than 14 and a half hours , my wife and kids remain stranded in car stuck in traffic because of snow . Situation is desperate now . Been on phone w / State police repeatedly who agree w / me . All prayers are welcome as I 'm praying for the safe return of many of my friends in similar situations too . ''

My wife later told me she cried only once , around 5 a.m. , not knowing when she was going to be able to get the children home . She imagined having to wait for days , maybe until the snow and ice melted . It was so , so cold and she could n't keep the engine running all night for fear of running out of gas . That 's also about when I lost it , I told her -- about 5 a.m. .

At one point an act of kindness gave her hope : A truck driver knocked on the window in the middle of the night offering water and a blanket .

She huddled the girls together in the front seat to keep them warm . `` I did n't let the girls see me cry , '' she said .

I felt so guilty about it all . Why did n't I fill up the car with gas ? Why did n't I get the oil changed ? How could I drop the ball on my family ?

I thought about Gen. Honore , who I have come to admire even more since hearing him talk about leadership and life lessons . I decided it was time to take action .

I called the Georgia State Patrol and local authorities one more time . They could offer me very little .

I told them if police could n't get my family , it was time for me to try . The state patrol dispatcher advised me to stay off the roads . It was now 20 hours into the ordeal .

At day-break , I told my wife , `` I am coming to get you . '' She said she did n't think I could get to her . I said , `` Do n't worry about that . Against advice of the local and state authorities , I 'm going to try . ''

I posted a message on Facebook letting folks know what I was going to do and asked for prayers . The reaction came pouring in .

I called my neighbor Kenneth Rucker , retired military and current investigator with a local district attorney 's office . Taking me in his four-wheel - drive truck , Rucker expertly traversed the thick ice on bridges passing hundreds of stranded vehicles along the way .

I was laser focused on the mission : Find my wife and kids and extricate them . I trudged up an ice-covered northbound lane of highway , as Ken 's pickup made a zig-zag between hundreds of stranded vehicles to get to a safe stop .

I grabbed each of my daughters , and carried them one by one across the median strip to the warmth of Ken 's truck . Then I escorted my wife into Ken 's vehicle . I moved my wife 's car into the median and left it there not knowing or caring when the traffic would start to move .

I was leading my family home .

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Rick Martin is both father and CNN journalist

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He was frustrated when his wife and daughters were trapped in snow-bound traffic

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Using journalist training and inspiration from heroe , he took to the roads to rescue family